In honor of the International Pipe-Smoking Day 2013, PipesandCigars.com would like to introduce Darbyshire. Darbyshire is a hot-pressed crumble cake of red and yellow Virginia and dark Burley that is reminiscent of some British brands that are no longer available in the United States. The flavors enhance the tobacco without masking it, and has a wonderful room note. For an interesting taste of England, give Darbyshire a try.

Like the other reviewer stated this is not a Crumble or Krumble Cake by any stretch of the imagination nor was it a cake to begin with. I have opened two tins of Darbyshire and both were the same, thin ribbon cut (think Prince Albert) in various shades of tan. I was picturing C&D's Blockade Runner or Briar Fox etc. since the tin states "a hot pressed crumble cake" but anyhoo I really like the aroma which is very unique, I have no idea what it is but resembles Coca Cola. This is not an aromatic in the modern sense, it is like Epiphany or Field & Stream in that they are dry blends, not sticky or goopy but do have an aromatic aroma, perhaps infused? Smokes dry and cool right from the tin, no drying time needed with either of my tins. Darbyshire is really an upscale Half and Half being that its comprised of red and yellow Virginia and Dark Burley so if you enjoy an OTC type old school blend of Virginias and Burley give Darbyshire a try, you might just find a new favorite. For a Half & Half type blend I much prefer Uhle's #44 but this smells much better burning (according to my household members) than #44 due to the aromatic topping. Oh and just like other Hearth and Home blends the price is very nice! $6 a tin, quite a bargain!! Thanks Russ you did good with this blend..

Here’s a mixture that perfectly combines all the qualities of a mild yet flavorful tobacco-forward concoction with that of a sweet aromatic designed to produce the loveliest scent. The tobacco is lightly cased and smells of licorice with a hint of a sweetening agent, perhaps maple and/or vanilla.

Once lit, the licorice aroma that is so forward in the tin note is not at all the dominate flavor. The smoke tastes sweet and the tobacco flavors are light, a bit toasty, warm in tone and well-balanced. As the bowl heats up, a beautiful soft spicy-sweet honey-clove flavor develops in the side stream. Compared to other blends in Russ's Marquee Series, Darbyshire is not a complex blend but it is still quite flavorful, easy to smoke and very enjoyable.

While inspired by once available British blends, the inspiration must not hail from the Lakeland District as Darbyshire, while fragrant, is not overtly floral or herbal. There are some extremely subtle floral flavors but they are more in the range of honeysuckle and orange blossom. This mixture does not taste soapy.

One mild disappointment for me was that Darbyshire is marketed as a crumble cake, but what I received was very much a medium thin ribbon cut blend with no tell-tale signs of once being pressed. Nonetheless, this is still a very good and extremely unique tasting smoking mixture.

Presentation is a large block of tobacco (softer than a plug) with a few medium size blocks and some of it in crumble cake form. Dark to light brown tobacco throughout. Smells sweet like raisins with a bit of pungentness and a topping I can't put my finger on.

I found this tobacco easy to pack, but difficult to keep lit. It was a nice mild smoke, yet had a decent amount of flavor. The familiar Va sweet with just a tad of tangy mixed with the earthy-sweet burley notes. A good tobacco. It smells aromatic, but subtle enough to not overpower the actual tobacco. Good mixture. Didn't surprise or delight me, but was definitely a reasonable and steady three stars. Good job H&H!